Soul Emperor Awakening

With a furious roar, Lin Xuan unleashed the full might of his bloodline, completely overwhelming Lan Sheng, a man who prided himself on strength. The scene stunned the entire audience, leaving their mouths agape, utterly speechless.

The very power the Demon Sea People took the most pride in had been surpassed by an outsider. How could they not be shocked? Especially given the vast difference in their Cultivation, this was simply inconceivable.

But this was far from over. After Lan Sheng was knocked airborne, a red light flashed in Lin Xuan’s eyes. In that instant, the power in his blood began to boil, and his feet turned a deep crimson.

BAM!

Lin Xuan stomped down hard, spiderweb cracks spreading across the tough ground beneath him. He executed the Cyan Cloud Step, transforming into a streak of blood-red light that surged toward Lan Sheng. His speed was far beyond any of his previous bursts, having increased severalfold!

Just as Lan Sheng managed to right himself in mid-air, Lin Xuan was already in front of him. To be more precise, he had caught up to his airborne opponent. With a red glint flashing in both eyes, he looked like an absolute madman!

"Sea-Entry Form!"

Lin Xuan roared, bringing the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod crashing down on Lan Sheng. The staff transformed into a red Giant Dragon; a true red dragon let out a roar as the staff bent into a perfect arc, the blow far more ferocious than any Lan Sheng had ever swung!

It was as if Lin Xuan had merged with the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod. Though the staff possessed no Chi Dragon soul, he had forcibly manifested a roaring red dragon from it.

Lan Sheng’s eyes widened. Gritting his teeth, he held his staff horizontally before him to block Lin Xuan’s attack.

DOOM!

Completely ignoring the defending staff, Lin Xuan smashed down with overwhelming force. A power of 450,000 pounds exploded forth—another 50,000 pounds stacked on top of his previous strength!

This was the apex of brutality. Lin Xuan’s blow smashed Lan Sheng downward, bending the defending staff. As it pressed against Lan Sheng’s chest, the surging power buckled his knees. The momentum sent him skidding backward, nearly forcing him to the ground. But Lan Sheng desperately held on, even as his chest caved in under the pressure of his own weapon.

Blood trickled from the corner of Lan Sheng’s mouth. The relentless assault had obviously inflicted internal injuries, but for now, he was still holding on.

Likewise, Lin Xuan’s assault was not over!

"Eight Extremes Staff Technique!"

The Sea-Entry Form concluded, and he immediately unleashed the Eight Extremes Staff Technique. As he retracted the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod, the immense pressure on Lan Sheng vanished. He felt a moment of relief, but his heart immediately tightened in dread. Lin Xuan, who had just been striking from above, transformed into a streak of red light, gliding down through the air.

SWOOSH!

A red arc of light hooked upward from below, beautiful as a long silk ribbon, yet carrying the unmistakable aura of death!

Lan Sheng scrambled to bring his staff down to block, but it was too late. The upward hook struck with incredible speed. Before his own staff could intercept it, the tip of the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod was already pressed against his abdomen, flinging him into the air. A violent blast of Qi Force erupted from the point of impact, the bulk of it absorbed by Lan Sheng’s body. The remainder swept out in all directions, forcing even distant spectators to hastily raise their Elemental Power Shields against the terrifying shockwave.

Some of the Elemental Power Shields shattered on impact, knocking their owners back. If even the distant spectators were thrown back, what must it feel like for Lan Sheng, who had taken the hit head-on?

Lan Sheng’s eyes flew wide as he let out a choked grunt. A terrifying, red Qi Force poured into his body, pulverizing his internal organs and leaving him gravely wounded. A sweet, coppery taste filled his throat. He felt death approaching as sensation drained from his body, which no longer felt like his own.

Five hundred thousand pounds of force! With his third move, he had increased his strength by another fifty thousand pounds. This was an unbelievable boost. Even the amplification from a martial art shouldn’t produce such a terrifying increase in power. This was the result of him burning his own bloodline.

The Cloud Return Technique was circulating madly, igniting the power of his bloodline. It was similar to burning one’s Essence Blood, but different; rather than consuming his life force, it was drawing out the latent power hidden deep within his lineage.

BAM!

Lan Sheng’s grip slackened, his staff falling from his grasp as he was sent flying backward toward the spectator stands. But just as he was about to crash into them, Lin Xuan, still standing in his original spot, drew back the Chi Dragon Heavens Rod. He pulled his right foot back slightly, assuming a piercing stance. The red light in his eyes pulsed, so intense it seemed to have become tangible.

"Extreme Point Inch Light!"

Lin Xuan thrust the staff forward viciously. He transformed into a piercing red light, catching up to the airborne Lan Sheng in the blink of an eye and striking him squarely in the chest—a brutal finishing blow!

THUD!

A force of a staggering 550,000 pounds erupted with one final, ferocious burst. Lan Sheng felt his chest constrict, and a massive concussive force flooded his insides. For a moment, it felt as if his heart had stopped beating.

He stared at the motionless Lin Xuan as his vision went black. His consciousness faded. He wanted to scream but found he lacked the strength—or perhaps even the awareness—to make a sound. His body was no longer his to command.

BANG!

Suddenly, while Lan Sheng was still in mid-air, a cloud of blood mist erupted from his back, leaving a deep crater, as if something had exploded from within. In truth, it was the power of the Extreme Point Inch Light, which had pierced through his chest only to detonate out his back!

Finally, Lan Sheng slammed violently into the spectator stands. Fortunately, that section was unoccupied. His burly frame crashed into the stone seating with a loud BOOM, sending up a cloud of dust and gouging a deep pit into the solid rock.

Lan Sheng lay in the crater, his body limp and devoid of rigidity. Every bone in his body had been shattered, leaving nothing to support his frame.

The surrounding spectators cautiously gathered around. As they got a closer look, expressions of horror filled their faces. Lan Sheng... was dead!

They couldn’t sense the faintest aura from his body. He was completely and utterly dead. Even the highest-grade Healing Elixir would be useless now. The man was dead; what good were Elixir Pills?

Lin Xuan retracted his staff as the boiling in his blood subsided and his skin returned to its normal color. But what shocked him most was the realization... ’Did I just have a breakthrough?’

After that series of explosive attacks, he discovered his Cultivation had effortlessly jumped to the Essence Pill Stage. There had been no barrier, no difficulty at all. It was as easy as stepping from one room into another.

He felt an earth-shattering transformation occurring within him. His overall strength had ascended to a completely new level, and his physical body had grown stronger still. His entire aura was different, and the amount of Elemental Power he could now contain had multiplied several times over!

If the meridians in his body had been streams before, they were now great rivers!

’Does the true potential of my bloodline only emerge when I activate it with the Cloud Return Technique?’ Lin Xuan was astounded. Aside from taking Elixir Pills, he had never experienced such a fast breakthrough.